HELP! Critical stage of the game?!

[rl7040]

Image of the map at http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9793/empires.png

I am green and currently the dominant power in this game (or so I think). I get 15 reinforcements per tern, Blue gets 10 and Red gets 7 (probably increasing to 15 when he captures Cameroon. I have 4 cards and can cash in a set, Blue has 4 cards and Red has 1 card. I made a pact with Red in Africa only- he gets Cameroon and I keep Somaliland. However, it would be tempting for him to break it when he gets more reinforcements

With Blue conquering Asia I have decided to go for Europe. I have the most bases of any player in Europe, and I am concentrating my forces there.

Is my strategy sound? Should I keep going for Europe or do I need to switch my goals? Please help, I don't want to mess this one up!

[rl7040]

UPDATE:
Game link:
http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=8567066

[Dukasaur]

UPDATE:
Game link:
http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=8567066

At this point sweeping Europe probably is your best strategy.

By the way, there is an easier way to post game links.... when you post there is a button that says "Game", you just press that button and type game number into the blank... just make sure not to type anything else in there. (For this you need to have the full editor turned on.. if you're just using Quick Reply then you don't have that option, you need to press "Use Full Editor."

[dhallmeyer]

you're in decent shape. Remember though, this game will probably be won by the spoils cashed in, more than the bonuses held. Don't get too attached to bonuses when the value of your spoils is much high than what you are drawing.

[CptJMoney]

I agree with Dinosaur, they have hardly any reinforcements in Europe, and taking it should be easy. You will probably be killed off soon unless you stay out of the fight. When they are weak, take over power.

[JelleR]

I agree with Dinosaur, they have hardly any reinforcements in Europe, and taking it should be easy. You will probably be killed off soon unless you stay out of the fight. When they are weak, take over power.

??

Killed of soon? Right.

Anyway, you are in very good shape. If anything, dont lose contact with red. Be sure you c sweep up his cards when it matters.

[rl7040]

Thanks for all the replies Several updates:

At this point sweeping Europe probably is your best strategy.

By the way, there is an easier way to post game links.... when you post there is a button that says "Game", you just press that button and type game number into the blank... just make sure not to type anything else in there. (For this you need to have the full editor turned on.. if you're just using Quick Reply then you don't have that option, you need to press "Use Full Editor."

Thanks for that Dukasaur, I'm a newbie and this is my first week.


Anyway, Red has taken over South Africa and the Japanese Empire and now gets 19 reinforcements per turn Blue is taking over Southern Asia and I'm hoping they'll get into a fight
Next turn I have decided to follow Dukasaur's advice and cash in my cards, then sweep across Europe. However, Red will probably get annoyed as he gets about 5 reinforcements by holding European colonies and I'll rub that off. It might even start a war in Africa again

Any additional tips and advice will be welcome.

[Echospree]

Also, a tip (which may or may not be helpful).

Note that your agreement involves only the African BORDER. Which means that you can knock out red in Europe, then use your extra troops into the Naval Superiority, and blast away 5 countries not on the border, and therefore his South Africa bonus. trolololololol

Just remember that it resets to 4 each round, so don't bother leaving any troops on it (and you can't reinforce away).

[rl7040]

Echospree, that is a possible loophole but right now I would rather not start a war with Red. True, I would probably gain all of Africa- perhaps for a few turns- but he would count that as still backstabbing and cash his troops in on me. Still, that's a possible choice.

Anyway, UPDATE:
Red has taken over most of Asia and all of Australasia, leaving me pretty much nowhere to expand to. What should I do? I could try and eliminate Blue- now at an all time low- and start a chain, but I'm still a newb and not sure whether I should. Red is gonna get annoyed when he finds out I rubbed off most of his European bonus, but he is also at a weak point- just finished expansion.

[dr.lucas]

only two of you left, time to win the game

[Echospree]

Yeah, killing blue after red weakened him so much was the correct move. At this point, its just two players left, why would you offer truces? It's time to bash face.

[rl7040]

I didn't want to be a backstabber.
True, I killed blue and could have cashed in and probably storm North Africa. But Red will probably see that as a backstab...I don't want to get a bad rating.
You are right though. I did make a bad choice, now if Red wants to he could break through my borders in Africa or Europe.
Just hoping he takes the pact...

[Echospree]

You can't backstab when there's only two of you, it's a direct 1 on 1 confrontation! I'd abide by the truce you've already established. When there's multiple players, diplomacy is alright, but with two players left, bash face, always bash face. Unless you're in a game where stacking is more profitable, but this is fairly rare, unless you need to stick through neutrals to get to your enemy.

[rl7040]

Yes, that was a stupid mistake. I would have almost certainly won the game if I hadn't done that. I have made a foolish decision and wasn't thinking.

(see link above to the game)

However, right now it is still (as I see it) a critical stage of the game- I have taken over Africa, rubbed off Red's bonus. But, I have cashed in my cards and now pretty vulnerable. If Red breaks through my lines- only luck will decide that- it will be pretty difficult to tell who will win. If Red can't, my sheer bonus will kill him.

[Dukasaur]

Just a couple minor pointers:

(see link above to the game)

1. It doesn't hurt to post a fresh game link every time, instead of making people scroll way up. Yes, we're a bunch of lazy toads. But that's why we're here playing video games instead of out there, shoveling the driveway....

Game 8567066

See? Easy, and now anybody who reads this far can just click through and have a look.

However, right now it is still (as I see it) a critical stage of the game- I have taken over Africa, rubbed off Red's bonus. But, I have cashed in my cards and now pretty vulnerable. If Red breaks through my lines- only luck will decide that- it will be pretty difficult to tell who will win. If Red can't, my sheer bonus will kill him.

2. You've got so many troops now there really shouldn't be any way for Red to win. I think you're worrying for nothing. Still, miracles do happen, and I never count my chickens before they hatch. There's a lot of minor bonuses you could have for the cost of very few troops, and you have a lot of troops sitting around doing nothing. For instance, now that you've wiped Red from Africa, you could sent in just a few to take the two Portuguese colonies down there and collect another +2 for the Portuguese Empire. There's 18 troops on the Caucasus doing nothing but drinking vodka on the company payroll... if you detach just 7 of them to Rhodhesia they can do that job. Pay attention to every possible bonus.

Still, your best strategy at this point is to aggressively go for Red and just swap blows.

[SirSebstar]

what i dont understand is why the navel troops did not finish their bombarding..
also, use your 20 stack and charge in there and finish it.. waiting helps you, but only a little.
take his bonussess away but attack so you keep in a corner and he cant get out save through to you. that way he has to kill your stack and he will have not enough to kill you before you retaliate

[JelleR]

what i dont understand is why the navel troops did not finish their bombarding..
also, use your 20 stack and charge in there and finish it.. waiting helps you, but only a little.
take his bonussess away but attack so you keep in a corner and he cant get out save through to you. that way he has to kill your stack and he will have not enough to kill you before you retaliate

Yeah. Bombard until you lose all, because you are going to lose those troops anyway (read the map!).

[rl7040]

Thanks for the many posts. I have some replies, but the game will finish in the next two turns.

Dukasaur, thanks for those pointers on forum etiquette. Again, this is my first thread on the forum. The reason why I have a large stack of troops on Caucasus, Persia and Afghanistan is because these are my borders- this is to stop Red from cashing in and wrecking havoc on my continents. Last turn I had a bad plan and narrowly managed to get Red off the continent and couldn't conquer any more of Africa. This turn I will conquer Africa and reinforce troops at the borders- I still have doubts about wiping Red off in one go.
Sir Sebstar, that's a good point- I was pretty stupid and ignored the map.

Anyway the game has pretty much ended, just tying up a few ends.